Will the White House Go Gold®?

Monthly Archives: June 2015

In response to The White House turning color in support of the Supreme Court decision favoring LGBT marriage, ACCO reached out to our contacts in the White House with the request that it be turned gold in September. ACCO respects the following response that we just received back from the White House office an hour ago. As opportunities arise and policies change, we will continue to reach out to the White House on behalf of our childhood cancer community.

“Hello Ruth,

Thank you very much for your email and for the positive support for the LGBT community.

We have asked about lighting the WH up on behalf of requests that have come in, and for pediatric cancer specifically. As I’m sure you know, many diseases and advocacy groups have a color they use for awareness and the number of requests have been very high since 2009. Unfortunately a policy was set that we would not be able to add additional annual light ups. Bill Clinton and George Bush each chose one during their Administrations; breast cancer and HIV. The White House kept those two on behalf of past Administrations. The LGBT lighting for the Supreme Court decision was a one time historic event so the policy was lifted for that one time, but won’t be annual.

We have asked if the policy will change in the future and will continue to pursue it. Thus far it seems as though adding an annual lighting, or choosing only some of the many awareness colors out of the requests we’ve received is something we won’t be able to do, at least for now.

Thank you again, and please be in touch. We’ll absolutely keep you posted if anything changes.

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: She was diagnosed on 7-23-14 with stage 3 osteosarcoma of the tibia. She endured 10 months of chemo and had the 4th growing prosthesis implant in the USA surgery on 10/29/14. She has finished treatment however she is awaiting a multitude of surgeries to correct complications from the original surgery. She has suffered severe depression and fights chronic pain every day of her life. She missed her 8th grade year if school and is goin to miss the beginning part of her freshman year of high school. She’s now battling a huge weight gain because she cannot ambulate at all and every bit of this is knocking her self esteem further in the dirt. This would be an awesome thing to have done for her.” – Jenny M

It’s that time again! As we approach Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, we want to be sure everyone has their 2015 Go Gold® teeshirts. This year, we are going to again feature the names of Childhood Cancer Warriors who have fought or are still fighting cancer.

This year, however, we have a new and improved way of collecting these precious names. We have created a submission form at http://s.acco.org/submitname. We will only be collecting names using this form to help streamline the process, so please click on the button below, fill out the information on the form and then hit the big yellow “Sign Up” button and that’s it! We are collecting names until the deadline of Wednesday, July 8, 2015. In order for families to be able to receive their shirts by September 1st, we have to keep this date firm. Any names submitted after July 8th, 2015 will be saved for our next project. Thanks for your understanding.

*NAME SUBMISSION FOR THE 2015 GO GOLD® SHIRT IS NOW CLOSED. YOU MAY STILL REGISTER YOUR CHILD’S NAME FOR THE NEXT PROJECT BY USING THE BUTTON BELOW*

We are so excited to Go Gold® this September for all our Warriors and Families! We can’t wait to see how many names are submitted! Thank you!

Details: We will only be collecting names for the 2015 Go Gold® Shirt until July 8th. We will post a final list for review on the 9th or 10th (so please check back then) and expect to have the design completed and the shirts ready for purchase on or around the 13th. Shirts will be available for purchase for approximately three weeks. When the shirts are available for purchase, we will post the link on our website, social media and will send out an email to anyone who has submitted a name. When you submit your child’s name to the list, we’ve added a confirmation email that will be sent within 24 hours. If you would like us to confirm that the name has been submitted, please send us a private message with the email used to submit the name or email CPerry@acco.org. In order for families to be able to receive their shirts by September 1st, we have to keep the cutoff date firm. Any names submitted after July 8th will be saved for our next project. There may be a need for more than one shirt with the names separated to accommodate all entries as each shirt can fit approximately 1,500 names. Please contact us with any further questions.

We are pleased to be able to announce that Dr. Peter Adamson, attending Physician in the Division of Oncology at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has been named by President Obama to the National Cancer Advisory Board today. Many of you have raised your voices and expressed the importance of having a pediatric oncologist in the Board, so we are gratified to be able to make this announcement.

We are also pleased that this announcement comes as the Administration, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is scaling up the Precision Medicine Initiative, which was announced by President Obama in his State of the Union address earlier this year. This initiative aims to enable a new era of medicine through research and technology that empowers patients, researchers, and providers to work together toward development of individualized treatments. As a part of this initiative, the President has included a request for $70 million in funding for NCI to scale up efforts to identify genomic drivers in cancer and apply that knowledge to the development of more effective approaches to cancer treatment. The Initiative also calls for the development of a research cohort of a million or more participants.

As we work with the teams at NIH, FDA, and ONC to scale and shape the cohort and this Initiative as a whole, we are eager to work with you to ensure that the pediatric cancer community’s voices are heard. You can learn more about the Initiative and sign up for updates here: www.whitehouse.gov/precision-medicine. NIH will also be hosting a workshop on patient participation in the cohort on July 1 and 2, and I would encourage you to tune in and participate online. Information on ways to engage in that workshop is located here: www.nih.gov/precisionmedicine/events.htm.

We were pleased to be able to bring the pediatric cancer community together last September and hope to continue to build upon the dialogue we began at that convening, including the announcement that the White House Office of Management and Budget would be disaggregating spending in a way that would report pediatric cancer research totals.
Best,

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Dr. Peter C. Adamson is attending physician in the Division of Oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), a position he has held since 1999. Dr. Adamson has been Chair of the Children’s Oncology Group, supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), since 2010. He was Chief of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at CHOP from 1999 to 2014, and also served as Director of the Office of Clinical and Translational Research from 2005 to 2011. He served as Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania from 1999 to 2006. Dr. Adamson was an investigator in the Pediatric Oncology Branch of NCI from 1995 to 1999, and he served in the United States Public Health Service from 1994 to 1997. Dr. Adamson was the Children’s Cancer Foundation Research Scholar from 1992 to 1994. He was a Biotechnology Fellow from 1990 to 1992 and a pediatric hematology/oncology fellow at NCI from 1987 to 1990. He began his pediatric career as a resident at CHOP from 1984 to 1987. Dr. Adamson received a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an M.D. from Cornell University.

Dr. Deborah Watkins Bruner, Appointee for Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
Dr. Deborah Watkins Bruner is currently the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Nursing at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Professor of Radiation Oncology, and Associate Director for Outcomes Research at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, positions she has held since 2011. Before joining Emory University, Dr. Bruner served at the University of Pennsylvania as Professor of Nursing and Radiation Oncology from 2006 to 2011 and as co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Abramson Cancer Center from 2008 to 2011. From 1989 to 2006, Dr. Bruner held various positions at the Fox Chase Cancer Center, including Nurse Manager/Clinical Specialist in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Director of the Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment Program, and Director of the Symptoms and Outcomes Research Program. From 1986 to 1989, Dr. Bruner was a Gyn-Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist/Program Coordinator at the Albert Einstein Medical Center. She served as Research Nurse for Burns and Trauma at Crozer-Chester Medical Center from 1985 to 1986. Dr. Bruner began her career as a Staff Nurse at the Crozer-Chester Medical Center from 1978 to 1985. Dr. Bruner received a B.S.N. from West Chester University, an M.S.N. in Oncology and an M.S.N. in Administration from Widener University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Yuan Chang, Appointee for Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
Dr. Yuan Chang is currently Professor of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh, a position she has held since 2002. Dr. Chang has been a Distinguished Professor of Pathology since 2012, and is the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Chair of Cancer Virology. Dr. Chang served in a few positions at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgery during his tenure, first as Assistant Professor of Pathology from 1993 to 1997, Associate Professor of Pathology from 1997 to 2000, and then as Professor of Pathology from 2000 to 2002. From 1991 to 1992, Dr. Chang was Clinical Instructor in the Department of Pathology at Stanford University Medical Center. She has also held a number of clinical assignments, including Assistant Attending Pathologist at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital from 1993 to 1997, Associate Attending Pathologist from 1997 to 2000, and Attending Pathologist from 2000 to 2001. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Chang received a B.S. from Stanford University and an M.D. from the University of Utah College of Medicine.

Dr. Timothy J. Ley, Appointee for Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
Dr. Timothy J. Ley is Director of the Stem Cell Biology Section in the Division of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine, a position he has held since 2000. Dr. Ley has also served as the Associate Director for Cancer Genomics at The Genome Institute at Washington University since 2008. He has held various faculty positions at Washington University since 1986, including Professor of Medicine and Genetics, Director of the Hematopoiesis Research Center, and Director for Basic Science at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center. From 1984 to 1986, Dr. Ley was senior investigator for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health, where he previously served as Clinical Associate from 1980 to 1983. From 1983 to 1984, he was a Hematology-Oncology Fellow at Washington University Medical Center. He completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1979 to 1980, and he served as a Commissioned Officer with the United States Public Health Service from 1980 to 1986. He is a past president of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and was Chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Human Genome Research Institute from 2009 to 2013. He is also an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Ley received a B.A. from Drake University and an M.D. from Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. Max S. Wicha, Appointee for Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
Dr. Max S. Wicha is the Madeline and Sidney Forbes Professor of Oncology at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, a position he has held since April 2015. Dr. Wicha has served as Attending Physician for Medical Oncology In-Patient and Consultation Services for the University of Michigan Health System since 1980. In 1986, he founded the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and served as its Director since its inception until earlier this year. Dr. Wicha has held various positions at the University of Michigan Medical School since 1980, including Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Director of the Simpson Memorial Research Institute, and Distinguished Professor of Oncology. From 1977 to 1980, Dr. Wicha served in several capacities at the National Cancer Institute including Research Associate, investigator in the Laboratory of Pathophysiology, and then as a Clinical Oncology Fellow. Dr. Wicha served as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service from 1977 to 1980 and completed his residency at The University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics from 1975 to 1977. He is a past President of the American Association of Cancer Institutes and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Wicha received a B.S. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine.

For more information about the American Childhood Cancer Organization call 855.858.2226 or visit:

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Emily was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in 2010. She missed half of 7th grade and all of 8th grade, but was able to return for 4 years of high school and graduate with a 3.867. She is looking very forward to starting her college career at The Ohio State University in the fall with a Bio Chem major and hopes to one day be a research doctor in oncology. She is funny, feisty, and enjoys each day and new experience she is given. She says that she is thankful for cancer,..that “cancer” doesn’t define her, but the journey through it did. She has relied on God for her strength and is a daily inspiration to me.” – Mary D.

How will you #StepUp for Action Days in 2015?

A coordinated community effort is underway to storm Congress on foot and online. Childhood cancer organizations throughout the country are joining together to send Congress the message of #StepUp: Make Childhood Cancer a National Child Health Priority.

We have created #StepUp Selfie Signs for you to print and hold in your Selfie, or you can just write #StepUp: Make Childhood Cancer a National Child Health Priority on a piece of paper and hold it up. To use a sign, click on a link below and print. Please be sure to send in your selfie on our Facebook Page or by email to cperry@acco.org. Thank you and we can’t wait to see how you will #StepUp!

History will be made next week when approximately 300 advocates come to Washington, D.C. for this year’s annual Childhood Cancer Action Days on June 15-16, hosted by the Alliance for Childhood Cancer. In the days leading up to-and continuing through-next week’s big event we need your help to make sure our voices are heard loud and clear by members of Congress.

There are many ways for you to help over the next 7 days of this community campaign:

Send in your #StepUp Selfies for us to share and gain national attention. You can share them on Facebook or email them to cperry@acco.org.

Take action online! Add the #StepUp hashtag to any of your posts so we can follow along.

Starting Monday morning when advocates are in town, tweet your members of Congress using the Twitter-based action platform SoundOff.

Please follow our Facebook and Twitter pages for new posts to share with your friends and family about why we #StepUp for children with cancer.

ACCO is proud to be a leader in this joint effort of the Alliance for Childhood Cancer. In the coming week, we’ll take one step in a long journey toward making childhood cancer a National Child Health Priority.

Please join us as we #StepUp to make our united voices heard on behalf of children with cancer!

For more information about the American Childhood Cancer Organization call 855.858.2226 or visit:

ACCO Mourns the Death of Dr. Robert Arceci, Childhood Cancer Warrior

It is with the deepest sadness, grief, and disbelief that the American Childhood Cancer Organization learned on Monday of the unexpected passing of one of childhood cancer’s greatest, most valued warriors: Dr. Robert Arceci, Director of the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Hematology and Oncology at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona. Dr. Arceci was well-known to both the medical community and the close-knit childhood cancer community for his passionate and wholehearted dedication to the fight against childhood cancer in all its forms. As Co-Director of PCH’s Institute of Molecular Medicine, Dr. Arceci was in the midst of conducting ground-breaking research into new and innovative treatment options for childhood cancer with the ultimate goal of developing personalized treatment options. In his own words, he hoped this research would one day, “improve outcomes…and acquire that dream of really getting rid of this darn disease.”

Yet for many, many families who have faced or who are facing the difficult journey through childhood cancer, Dr. Arceci will be missed primarily for his devotion to the children themselves. Despite his dedication to research and teaching, he remained intimately involved in the treatments of children battling childhood cancer, and always made himself available for consultations and second opinions to families across the country. In the words of Ruth Hoffman, ACCO’s Executive Director, “Dr. Arceci…was always available to give his time and expertise to families no matter where he was or how busy he was. He provided second opinions to so many ACCO families over the years, giving hope when it seemed there was none.” And ultimately, he himself noted that he personally felt the loss of every single child he treated, but could not save.

Dr. Arceci’s current research at the Institute of Molecular Medicine is focused on developing new and innovative therapeutic targets and immunotherapies designed to improve treatment outcomes while reducing the negative, long-term side effects that are the all-too-common result of today’s available treatments. His research teams at PCH include multidisciplinary investigators focused on developing scientifically robust, molecularly-based, and ultimately individualized, treatment options for leukemia and other childhood cancers. In addition to his role at PCH, Dr. Arceci also served as a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine. Before coming to Phoenix, Dr. Arceci was Director and King Fahd Professor of Pediatric Oncology and Professor of Oncology and Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and prior to that was Director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati. He received his MD from the University of Rochester, and completed his residencies and fellowships in pediatric hematology/ oncology at The Children’s Hospital, Boston and Harvard Medical School.

The ACCO would like to express its sincere condolences to Dr. Arceci’s family, friends, and colleagues in this difficult time, as well as to the entire childhood cancer community while it mourns this passing of this great man and childhood cancer warrior. In the words of Ms. Hoffman, “He will be terribly missed!”

Help Us Celebrate International Childhood Cancer Survivor Week!

Please send in your stories, wishes, dreams and photos for you or your child that has survived Childhood Cancer. Please use the comments below, send to us via email at cperry@acco.org or by using our Facebook Page‘s timeline or private message by Clicking Here. You can also visit the Facebook Page set up specifically for Survivors at www.facebook.com/ChildhoodCancerSurvivorJourneys and share you story there.

At the heart of what we all are committed to doing, is ensuring that children with cancer everywhere, get the best treatment and care they deserve and thus improve their chance for a cure.

Over the years, in a number of countries, both in developed and middle income countries, childhood cancer survivorship has increased. We have a growing number of survivors who are living testimonies that childhood cancer is curable.

Thus, while we continue to advocate for initiatives that will lessen the inequities in survival rates between developed and developing countries, this June, we pause to focus on our childhood cancer survivors.

This June, in solidarity with Childhood Cancer International Survivors Network, UICC and SIOP members, we celebrate the life of our survivors. We honor their courageous journeys and recognize the challenges they continue to face.

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: The Bloomsburg University football team has been very supportive of childhood cancer fighter Gage Campbell. They have truly made him feel like a member of the team. He runs out on the field with them before games and and stays on the side lines the whole game. Players also support Gage outside of football actives running a 5K in his honor and visiting him in the hospital. We are so thankful for this wonderful group of individuals.” – Megan C

The American Childhood Cancer Organization is a 501(c)(3) public charity, whose programs and services are funded entirely by private donations, foundation grants, and corporate contributions.
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